1. The Middle Colonies

2. The middle colonies: Included: New York Pennsylvania New Jersey
Delaware

3. First Settlers New Netherland = Albany, NY area
Some of the first settlers in the region were the Dutch and Swedish.
New Netherland = Albany, NY area
New Amsterdam = Manhattan Island, NY
New Sweden = Delaware and New Jersey

4. Important Citizens
Peter Minuit - the Dutch Governor who purchased Manhattan from the Indians
Sir George Calvert- “The Lord of Baltimore”
William Penn - A Quaker who established a colony in Pennsylvannia. Advocate of religious freedom
Benjamin Franklin - One of the founding fathers

5. Farming Farmers in the middle colonies had many advantages: Rich soil
Mild climate
Long growing season
Deep rivers

6. Crops for sale
Because of good soil and climate people could produce crops to sell
These became known as Cash Crops- crops grown to sell for profit
They produced so much grain they became known as the bread basket colonies

7. Port cities
Many farmers in the middle colonies shipped their goods through Philadelphia and New York
They shipped them via the Delaware river and the Hudson river

8. Conestoga Wagon
Many of the Pennsylvania Dutch utilized the Conestoga wagon
It was:
Larger
More sturdy
Covered
Large wheels

9. New York farmers Owning land was very important to the colonists
5 families owned most of the land (their estates could cover up to 2 million acres)
The owner or Patroon ran their estates like tiny kingdoms
People who farmed the land had to pay rent

10. Business, Trade, and Cities

11. Cities Grow Quickly
By the mid 1700’s Philadelphia and New York were the two largest cities in the colonies
They were important trading and manufacturing centers
Cities were a contrast to the quiet countryside
Streets were paved with brick or cobblestone
They were lined with shops and inns
Crowds of people spoke many languages

12. A different kind of community:
The middle colonies were settled by people from many countries with different:
Beliefs
Customs
languages

13. Many Religions:
The colonies did not have any single religion that was more powerful then the others
Religions included
Roman Catholic
Jewish
Amish
Mennonite
Calvinists
Quaker
Lutherans

14. Country Customs and Fun
People worked together to:
Clear land
Barn raising
Sheep shearing
Quilting

15. The Frontier
Early colonists settled along the Atlantic coast and the banks of large rivers
As more people arrived they moved further inland
Frontier- a thinly settled area on the outer limits of the colonies
For the middle colonies the frontier was the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains

16. People on the frontier
People who settled here were mainly seeking new adventure and freedom
They had to partake in extra chores like:
Cutting logs for their house and fires
Make furniture
Make candles
Make clothes
Educate their children

17. Dangers on the frontier
Because families on the frontier all faced many dangers and hardships:
They gained a spirit of independence and equality
Women worked alongside men
Different culture groups shared thoughts and ideas
There were no social class distinctions